Re: [Uri-review] Review Provisional registration for app URI scheme

Stian Soiland-Reyes <stain@apache.org> Tue, 23 January 2018 14:48 UTC

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Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2018 14:47:56 +0000
Message-ID: <20180123144756.GB6275@biggie>
From: Stian Soiland-Reyes <stain@apache.org>
To: Graham Klyne <gk@ninebynine.org>
Cc: "Roy T. Fielding" <fielding@gbiv.com>, uri-review@ietf.org
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Subject: Re: [Uri-review] Review Provisional registration for app URI scheme
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OK, fair enough, I'm not going to fight for consensus over a tricky
name!

While I like "arcid" it might be a future trademark violation
against
https://www.crossmatch.com/biometric-identity-solutions/products/software/arcid/
(although they have not registered such a trademark)

Presumably I in URI already means identifier.

Is "archive" too long or too generic? I think I will go with Roy's
"arcp" (which don't show any trademarks) and let P stand for Package,
not Pointer. :)


On Tue, 23 Jan 2018 10:43:37 +0000, Graham Klyne <gk@ninebynine.org> wrote:
> Hi Stian,
> 
> (Personal hat)
> 
> Notwithstanding the roots of this proposal, I think you've exposed that the 
> scheme has uses for more than just packaged applications.  So, lacking a 
> compelling practical reason, I'm still uneasy about 'app' as scheme name because 
> of existing associations and expectations.
> 
> (From RFC7595: "Since scheme names share a single, global namespace, it is 
> desirable to avoid contention over use of short, mnemonic scheme names." 
> [https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc7595, section 3.1].)
> 
> Having recently actually read the spec, I think something like 'arcid' or 
> 'pkgid' might be more appropriate than Roy's 'arcp', as the URI identifies 
> rather than points to an archive or package - as I read it, that's part of the 
> point: to provide a base label that transcends any particular location.
> 
> Anyway, I don't intend to argue the point ad nauseum if there's a consensus to 
> go with any specific name.
> 
> 
> On 22/01/2018 01:34, Stian Soiland-Reyes wrote:
>  > In that case I don't know if it would then make sense to register "app"
>  > as a historical scheme so the link to the previous W3C proposals are
>  > recorded?  How much prior usage/publication is needed for historical
>  > schemes?
>  >
>  > Here is how app:// was used in Firefox OS (now B2G OS) in Open Web Apps:
>  >
>  > 
> https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Archive/B2G_OS/Security/Security_model#Packaged_Apps
> 
> The historical use could IMO constitute a "compelling practical reason", 
> depending on the scope and nature of its deployment.  A registration of 'app' as 
> historical, or a note about it's origins in the registration template for the 
> revised scheme might be options to consider here.
> 
> 
> I think local-use URI schemes (like app was?) create a kind of messy corner 
> case: the local-use may be fine until (a) someone wants to use the same name for 
> something else on the global network, or (b) the scheme leaks from its local 
> use.  I sometimes think of these as "URI-like strings" rather than full-on URIs, 
> but I'm sure others would have different perspectives.
> 
> <aside>
> There have been some similar discussions about the file:// URI scheme.  In it's 
> original form, it was not really intended for use as a globally resolvable 
> location.  In my own work, I've used it as a local base for resolving relative 
> references, not transmitted to other systems.  The authority component there was 
> intended as a flag to an application about whether it could consider the URL 
> resolvable at all.  This aspect got somewhat lost in subsequent revisions - I 
> wasn't aware of this aspect until relatively recently:
> 
>     The file URL scheme is used to designate files accessible on a
>     particular host computer. This scheme, unlike most other URL schemes,
>     does not designate a resource that is universally accessible over the
>     Internet.
> 
>     A file URL takes the form:
> 
>         file://<host>/<path>
> 
>     where <host> is the fully qualified domain name of the system on
>     which the <path> is accessible...
> 
> -- https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1738, sect 3.10
> 
> </aside>
> 
> #g
> --
> 
> 
> On 22/01/2018 01:34, Stian Soiland-Reyes wrote:
> > On Sun, 21 Jan 2018 11:06:45 +0000, Graham Klyne <gk@ninebynine.org> wrote:
> >> On 19/01/2018 17:05, Roy T. Fielding wrote:
> >>>> On Jan 19, 2018, at 7:30 AM, Stian Soiland-Reyes <stain@apache.org> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>> OK, so after a bit back and forth, newtitle is:
> >>>>
> >>>> The Archive and Packaging Pointer (app) URI scheme
> >>>> https://tools.ietf.org/id/draft-soilandreyes-app-03.html
> >>>
> >>> I don't think it is reasonable to reserve the name "app" for that purpose.
> >>> "arcp" would make more sense and not mislead 99% of the people who see it.
> >> +1 (wearing personal hat)
> >
> > Thanks for your feedback!
> >
> > I think you both make good points on the scheme name.
> >
> >
> > In my desire to generalize the former proposals
> > https://www.w3.org/TR/app-uri/ and https://www.w3.org/TR/widgets-uri/ I
> > accidentally removed most of the "application" aspect - throwing the baby out
> > with the bathwater you could say.
> >
> > Microsoft has ms-appx: and ms-appx-web:// which work almost as I propose
> > for app://
> > https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/uwp/app-resources/uri-schemes#ms-appx-and-ms-appx-web
> >
> > ..with the extra bonus of the empty authority in ms-appx:/// meaning "the
> > running app" similar to the implied "localhost" in file:/// -- good
> > idea!
> >
> >
> > Previous feedback here (well, it was uri@w3c then) on the app scheme:
> > https://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/uri/2013Nov/0000.html
> > This got hung up with the mapping to HTTP, which is why I
> > generalized how to resolve resources.
> >
> >
> > Do you think "app" would be acceptable again if we brought back in focus
> > the application aspect, and perhaps also covered non-file resources such
> > as UI states?
> >
> > That should hint to remove/shrink the Resolution Protocol section, as
> > paths could be for any application "resource", some of which might not
> > be retrievable as a representation.
> >
> > (Then of course ?query would also be generally allowed)
> >
> > Title could be "Application and Package Pointer (app) URI Scheme".
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > Hypothetical application state example - sorry, a bit too long:
> > https://gist.github.com/stain/45e5fea9701114082392a665f91e9183
> >
> > This shows how a photo gallery app send an app URIs to a messaging app,
> > filling in an app URI Template to navigate to its Sharing widget, with a
> > redirect back to its next gallery state as another app URI.  The
> > imagined app framework ensures that only the two apps can talk to
> > each-other and that only the selected photos are exposed.
> >
> > I must admit I am not an expert in current Android/iOS app practices,
> > and above is hypothetical pipe dream and full of security traps - not
> > the best start for an RFC!
> >
> >
> > Do you think my Internet-Draft could be adopted to cover cases such as
> > this at the same time as it covers more "naive" archive mappings?  I
> > would probably have to strip down the Internet-Draft (and example) to
> > make it abstract enough.
> >
> >
> > BTW; current practices in iOS and Android world seems to be that each
> > app invent their own URI scheme like in "myGallery://photos/137" and
> > registers it for Actions/Intents.
> >
> > These are typically never registered with IANA, in fact
> > https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/iPhone/Conceptual/iPhoneOSProgrammingGuide/Inter-AppCommunication/Inter-AppCommunication.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40007072-CH6-SW10
> > says:
> >
> >> Note: If more than one third-party app registers to handle the same URL
> >> scheme, there is currently no process for determining which app will be
> >> given that scheme.
> >
> > This seems to me like abusing the scheme name when it's really acting
> > like an Authority in a common application framework. Also I think we
> > agree that we should not ask every app to register with IANA.
> >
> > Some good citizens use full reverse domain names as a private URI scheme
> > according to https://tools.ietf.org/html/bcp35#section-6
> > e.g. "com.example.myGallery://photos/137" -- however leaking these
> > between applications is still not really "private"..!
> >
> > ..but perhaps that fight is already lost for IANA and URI schemes are
> > now free for all?  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mobile_deep_linking
> > :-(
> >
> >
> >> As and when this comes to me for IANA review, I'd like to see in this discussion
> >> list (uri-review@ietf.org) some stronger indication of consensus on the choice
> >> of scheme name.  This doesn't formally affect requirements for provisional
> >> registration (though I'd me minded to request addition of a reference to this
> >> discussion), but it would have an effect on any subsequent request to progress
> >> to a permanent registration.
> >
> > No, but I agree "overly general" names are not permitted by BCP35, even
> > for provisional schemes. So if "app" is seen as that, and it becomes
> > hard to reconcile my draft with non-archive examples, then I would go
> > for "archive" or so and forget about the "application" aspect.
> >
> >
> > In that case I don't know if it would then make sense to register "app"
> > as a historical scheme so the link to the previous W3C proposals are
> > recorded?  How much prior usage/publication is needed for historical
> > schemes?
> >
> > Here is how app:// was used in Firefox OS (now B2G OS) in Open Web Apps:
> >
> > https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Archive/B2G_OS/Security/Security_model#Packaged_Apps
> >
> >
> >